24.
I consider this day the happiest time of the year next to Christmas and New Year. It is that very day when I feel that a lot of people love me; my friends kept on texting me and my phone seemed not to stop beeping! I received around 200 messages today! (I counted them, I swear!) This is also the moment when I get to have the privilege of thanking the people who have surrounded me for the year that passed. Surrounded, meaning everybody who has touched my life, who has done good things to me, and even those who think that I’m insignificant on earth. And I already did that earlier. I’ve given thank you notes to my dearest friends in the office (by putting the notes in their pigeon holes and I don’t even know when they would be able to read them), prayed for everyone I don’t know and doesn’t know me, texted my closest friends, and said thank you to the very first set of blessings that God has given me – my family.
I had lunch with my closest SGV friend Joie, whom I consider as my little sister, too (even though at times she seems to be thinking much older than I do). We had Shakey’s platter of pizza, spaghetti, Mojo’s, chicken and garlic bread – the ever famous Bunch of Lunch! I’m really comfortable wasting my time with her, not just because we’re both Batangueñas, but because I really love wasting my time with her! We first went to Greenbelt chapel so I could thank Him for the meaningful years that I had and for giving me another exciting year to look forward to.
After lunch, I asked Joie, “Joie, ikot muna tayo” because I still didn’t want to go back to the office. And then, wallahhh! She made a 360 degree - turn in place!!! I couldn’t help but laugh till I cry. It was really crazy, but I found joy in it. And after the “ikot”, we went back to work. Work. And work. And work. (Smaller than molecule??? Why not???!!! Hahahaha! I even posted that as my Sametime shout out, corny, but it made me giggle! Hahaha!)
At 6pm, I called Shobe. And I almost cried when she answered the phone by singing, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday… happy birthday to you!” Then she sang once again, “happy birthday to you, you belong to the zoo, with the monkey and the donkey… the gorilla is YOU!” hahahahaha! That alone made my day. We talked for like an hour and then she gave the phone to Mama. And as always, Mama greeted me as if I was just beside her. I wanted to hug her that minute and I really wanted to cry then.
My favorite cousin Dexter (I call him Dinhya) called to greet me! I was actually surprised because he calls me like only once in a blue and green moon…hehehe! It added happiness to my already happy day, even if he teased me for still not having a boyfriend for exactly two years and seven months now.
As with my sisters… well, they were all still awake when I went home at around 11pm (it was Ms. Ela’s gift to me, to go home before my special day ends, hehehe!) I knocked at the door thrice and Valerie (whom we normally call Le and abnormally call Balentong) opened the door saying “Happy birthday Achie!” Then I had a short but joyful talk with my sisters. Not just happy ha, but really joyful.
Gifts. Hmm… well, I received two wraps (balabal as we call it; a black balabal from Joie and red balabal from my college best friend Jep), blush on and hair band from Joie, and a little Angel Gabriel from Darvy. They were all really wonderful. I wanted to use the two wraps all at the same time! Hehehe!
Overall, I can say that this is just like my other birthdays… really happy! The only difference is that today, I’m really wiser, more careful, and OLDER! I look forward to the happy and the not-so-happy days that will come. They are all blessings and I believe that despite of the not-so-happy days, still there is that “happy” word in it. Cheers!
